"He wasn't that far behind Pogacar after all" - Bernard Thevenet trusts Jonas Vingegaard can turn the Tour upside down
Cycling
Bernard Thevenet has seen quite a few Tour de France editions in his life, having won the Grande Boucle twice himself in the 1970s. But the opening week of the 2025 race has left a particularly strong impression on the Frenchman.
"What I remember is that this Tour has started very strongly," Thevenet told Cyclism'Actu about the impression race left with him so far. "And above all, the main favorites have already been crossing swords since the first day. This is quite rare in a Grand Tour that lasts three weeks."
Vastly different development to what we have seen in some past editions. "Usually, the first week is more of an observation phase, even if you can't say it's a walk in the park. But here, we feel an immediate and constant commitment from the start, in practically every stage."
Unsurprisingly though, we're heading towards the first rest day with the expected man - Tadej Pogacar - in yellow. "Pogacar is on top, that's obvious. But he's not outrageously dominating," Thevenet notices cracks in the world champion's armor. "There's still hope for the future, because the gaps aren't that big yet."
His hopes are directed towards Jonas Vingegaard who appeared to be on-par with Pogacar for the most of the opening week. "We haven't even crossed a single mountain pass yet! When the real climbs arrive, things will change. And it could even redefine the current hierarchy. It's often said that the truth of the first week of the Tour isn't the same as the third, and that's true."
Although the Dane lost a lot of time in the stage 5 timetrial, his climbing performances were really promising: "He wasn't that far behind Pogacar after all. I'm glad he still believes in it, because if he had lost confidence, his Tour would already be over. And besides, it's not an unreasonable hope. It's a solid hope. As long as he believes in it, anything is possible."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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